South Africa faces a youth unemployment crisis, with nearly 60% of young people unable to access work and more than 40% leaving school before Grade 11. Limited career guidance, low self-belief, and lack of early support make it difficult for youth to imagine or prepare for their futures. IAWA intervenes early—starting in Grade 8—to build confidence, purpose, and clear pathways to tertiary education and employment so youth can confidently own their future.
Pathways to Purpose
Target Audience: Secondary School
Pathways to Purpose is our flagship multi-year journey designed to prevent school disengagement by starting early—before youth reach the grades where dropout is most common. Beginning in Grade 8, youth participate in a four-year sequence of holiday workshops. By aligning purpose, skills, and exposure at every stage, Pathways to Purpose directly targets the factors that lead to dropout. Youth finish the program with a clear vision for their lives and a concrete understanding of the steps needed to pursue tertiary studies or meaningful employment.
Core Focus Areas: Emotional intelligence, identity clarity, leadership skills, and academic confidence
Activities: Each year deepens the learning in:
Self-awareness and emotional regulation in Grade 8
Career exploration and goal-setting in Grade 9
Tertiary preparation in Grade 10
A capstone leadership and exchange experience in Grade 11.
In Grade 11, learners who have journeyed through IAWA’s foundational Pathways to Purpose program participate in a transformative cross-continental exchange with U.S. youth through the Roots to Rise Cultural Exchange. They return, seeing themselves as part of a global story—one where ancestral courage fuels their own leadership and empowers them to build a lasting legacy for their families, communities, and the world.
Core Focus Areas: Understanding of cultural identity while strengthening cross-cultural communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence.
Activities: Discovering the ties that bind them through:
Hands-on service-learning projects
Community engagement
Historical site visits
Reflective dialogue
Roots to Rise
Target Audience: Secondary School
Mentor Program
Target Audience: Ages 18–25
IAWA’s Mentor Program supports alumni as they transition from secondary school into tertiary education or the world of work—an inflection point where many South African youth lose momentum due to financial, emotional, or academic barriers. This alumni-only initiative combines virtual mentoring with periodic in-person meetups and group workshops
Core Focus Areas: guidance, accountability, and emotional support
Activities: Youth engage in a structured six-month goal-setting and action-planning process with trained mentors who help them navigate:
TVET and University Applications
Internships
Workplace challenges
Wellbeing and mental health
Long-term planning
The Work Readiness Master Classes directly address South Africa’s youth unemployment challenge by equipping young adults with practical, marketable skills. These master classes create a bridge to employment by connecting youth to networks, professional insights, and real-world expectations—ensuring they are prepared not just to find opportunities, but to succeed and advance within them.
Core Focus Areas: confidence and competencies
Activities: Hands-on sessions in:
Communication
Digital literacy
Curriculum Vitae (CV)/resume development
Interviewing
Workplace etiquette
Career navigation
Work Readiness Master Classes
Target Audience: Ages 18+
LaunchPad+
Ages 12+
LaunchPad+ gives young people year-round support as they prepare for varsity, work, or entrepreneurship. Members gain access to mentors, peer networks, and practical tools like CV feedback, interview prep, application support, and take their next step with a supportive community behind them.
Core Focus Areas: Helps youth build confidence and strengthen skills
Activities: LaunchPad+ provides:
Learning groups
Monthly Lunch and Learns
10 annual private sessions with a mental health practicioner
Youth Symposium
Target Audience: Ages 18–29
The Youth Symposium provides a vibrant, multi-age platform for learning, expression, and leadership development. This flagship event disrupts isolation by creating community, visibility, and belonging—especially for youth who rarely see themselves reflected in leadership spaces. The Symposium helps participants envision new possibilities and take tangible steps toward their dreams.
Core Focus Areas: identity, wellbeing, purpose, and career pathways
Activities: Youth engage in interactive workshops with:
Young professionals
Artists
Entrepreneurs
Peers
